Ladder



Aug. 25, 1942.

I T. H. FAY

LADDER Filed June 26, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l IIQVEAQITOR. THOMAS H. FAY BY ,M /%W% ATTORNEYS.

T. H. FAY

Aug. 25, 1942.

LADDER Filed-June 26, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. BY THOMAS H. FAY

a? ATTORNEYU Patented Aug. 25, 1942 LADDER,

Thomas H. Fay, Willoughby, Ohio, assignor to Gridiron Steel Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application June 26, 1940, Serial No. 342,533

8 Claims.

The present invention relates to ladders, and more particularly to ladders of the type known as step ladders, painters and decorators ladders, fruit pickers ladders and similar types of short ladders in which steps rather than rungs are employed.

Heretofore ladders of these types have been made of wood with its obvious disadvantages. Ladders must of course be left unpainted as manufactured to prevent concealing of defects in the wood or, if finished, must be covered only with a clear or transparent coating, such as lacquer or the like. Wooden step ladders are subject to easy breakage, cracking of steps or side rails, rotting of the wood from moisture or other causes, as well as inherent weaknesses in the wooden steps and rails which are not always apparent.

Attempts have been made to make such ladders of metal, but so far as I am aware such attempts have been failures due usually to excess weight which has made such metal ladders heavy and hard to handle.

In the present invention I have succeeded in producing a structural element of sheet metal, suitable for use as ladder rails and steps and one which can be made to approximate wood both in strength and weight, and which is obviously far more durable.

The design of such element makes it easy to fasten the rails and steps securely together without likelihood of loosening, which is always present in the usual wooden ladder constructions. The construction of the element lends itself readily to the securing of the rails and steps together. Such securing is preferably by welding, although other rigid securing means, such as rivets, may be employed.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims; the annexed drawings and the following description setting forth in detail certain structure embodying the invention, such disclosed structure constituting, however, but one of various means in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings- Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a ladder embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 55 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the ladder shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of a modified form of ladder;

Fig. 9 is a sectional view through the top of a ladder without a back standard;

Fig. 10 is a sectional view showing a modified form of step construction in plan;

Fig. 11 is a section on the line Il!l of Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is a section of a step similar to Fig. 11 but showing a modified construction;

Fig. 13 is an enlarged elevational view of the foot of a side rail;

Fig. 14 is a sectional view on line l4-l4 of Fig. 13;

Fig. 15 is a sectional view through the foot of the ladder shown in Fig. 8; and

Fig. 16 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 3 but showing a modified construction of attachment for the step and rails.

In Figs. 1 and 7, I have shown a step ladder consisting essentially of two metal side rails II, a top l2 and a series of steps l3. A back standard I4 is shown and the usual spreader brace 15, as well as the usual pail platform l6.

Each rail is formed of two sheets 20 and 2| of thin steel, each sheet being formed with a series of similarly spaced projections or buttons l1. As best shown in Fig. 5, the two side sheets 20 and 2i forming the rail are preferably one sheet of metal bent upon itself at one edge 22 with the projections or buttons l1 of each sheet portion in contact with the buttons I! of .the other sheet and welded or otherwise rigidly secured together. The two open edges I8 and [9 are bent around each other to form a closed edge for the back of the rail. It is obvious that two separate sheets could be employed with both edges secured as the edges 18 and [9 if desired. The projections or buttons I! are so spaced and of such a size as to overlap slightly both longitudinally and transversely of the rail to aid in both longitudinal and lateral stiffness.

The steps [3 are similarly formed from thin sheets 25 and 26 of metal having projections II which are in contact with each other and which are welded or otherwise securely tied together. The ends of each step are provided with downwardly extending flanges 30, each flange being preferably formed of the metal of both sheets and having projections or buttons 31 formed therein, these projections being of the same size as those in the rails and so spaced as to nest therein, as shown in Figs. 3 and 16. The projections 3! on the step flanges are welded, riveted or otherwise secured in place to the rail projections in which they nest, thus rigidly securing steps and rails together.

The top 35 is also made of a similar double projection or button sheet which is secured to the rails by means of top irons 36. These irons are angle pieces having similar buttons or projections 3B which nest with the projections I! of the rails and top and which are welded or riveted in place to secure the top, rails and irons together, as best shown in Fig. 4.

To protect and strengthen the button portions of the rails, shoes 40 of similar sheet material are provided, each shoe being a properly formed sheet with buttons 4| or projections so spaced as to nest with the rail projections l1 and be securely united thereto by welding or the like.

The steps may be reinforced if found desirable.

In the form shown in Fig. 12 the edges of the sheets 49 and 50 are rolled together to form a reinforcing flange 5| under the front edge of the step. Another modified form of reinforced step is shown in Fig. 11 in which two metal tubes 53 are inserted lengthwise of the step between the two rows of projections or buttons.

To stiffen the lower ends of the rails below and up to or slightly above the lowest step (see Figs. 13 and 14), I have shown the use of two metal tubes or rods 54 placed at the edges, that is between the projections and the metal forming the edge closures.

The back standard of the ladder is shown as being formed of two legs 55 and 56 preferably of light channel construction (see Fig. 2), these legs being connected together by suitable crossbraces 69 which are best shown in Fig. '7. The braces will be securely attached to the legs by welding or other secure fastening means and the individual straps 6| of the braces will be welded or fastened together at their crossing points62.

To hold the ladder in its extended position, the usual spreader brace IS with a pail handle 65 is employed, the ends of the spreader brace being pivotally attached to the rails and legs in the usual manner.

A pail platform I 6 is also provided, this, as shown in Fig. 2, consisting of a pair of arms hinged to the legs at H and being connected at their extending ends with a suitable sheet 12 of metal to form the platform proper. The front ends of the legs swing under and contact with the. top step to form the support for th platform when extended as shown in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 8 I have shown a modified form of lad- .der of the type known as painters or decorators ladders, in which form the top as used in a step ladder is dispensed with, the rails 80 extending above the top step 8| and being hinged directly to the legs 82 of the back standard. In this form the cross-bracing is so spaced as to allow a plank or the like to rest on any step without contacting the bracing.

Where the ladder is to be used in the house or where it is desirable to protect the ends of the rails and legs, they may be provided with rubber shoes 8.5.. The shoes 86 for the rails are preferably formed so as to have an interior tongue 88 extending up between the rail sheets and contacting the first projections IT. The shoes for the legs may merely fit snugly thereover in the usual manner.

For certain uses it may be desirable to use the present construction as a straight ladder, that is, without any back standard. In this form it is preferable to have the top step the same width as the other steps. In Fig. 9 I have shown such a construction in which the top step 90 is long enough to fit over the rail ends 9|. The end of the top are formed with downwardly projecting flanges 92 with projections or buttons 93 which nest with the projections I! of the rails on the outside thereof. The flanges and rails are then welded or rigidly secured together so as to form a rigid structure.

In the present type of ladders it will be noted that the rails and steps are formed from sheets of metal having projections or buttons, which are in contact with each other and rigidly secured together to form a box-like structure similar in shape to the usual rails and steps of wooden ladders of the same types.

The use of the projections or buttons, not only forms the sheets into a box but also gives an interior reinforcing of a girder type, making an extremely rigid, strong ladder.

The means for attaching the parts together, rails, steps, top, top irons, etc., by welding or by punching and upsetting the metal of the sheet into integrally formed rivets ties the entire front portion into a single integrally united unit, each part bracing each other and forming a strong rigid structure which can approximate the weight of a wooden ladder. The back standard is similarly welded together and hinged to the front in the usual way, that is, by being pivotally attached to the usual top irons.

The advantages of metal over wood are many. The rotting, checking and warping of rails, steps, legs, etc., is entirely eliminated. The ladders may be painted or rust-proofed so as to have extremely long life. In addition, the ladder is not liable to separation of parts as in a wooden ladder dependent upon nails, screws and bolts for holding the parts together.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the structure herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. In a ladder, a pair of metal rails of reinforced box construction, the inner faces of said rails being formed with depressions, a series of steps each formed of a similar metal box construction and provided with flanges at its ends, said flanges having complementary raised portions adapted to fit into such depressions in said rails and rigidly secured therein.

2. In a ladder, a pair of metal rails, each rail being formed of two sheets of metal having projections pressed out of the plane of the sheets, said projections of said sheets being rigidly united in contact with each other, and metal steps similarly formed out of sheets with projections, and having end flanges with similar projections adapted to nest with such projections in said rails and being rigidly united thereto.

3. In a ladder, a pair of metal rails, each rail being formed of two sheets of metal having projections pressed out of the plane of the sheets,

said projections of said sheets being rigidly united in contact with each other and the metal steps similarly formed out of sheets with projections, and having end flanges with similar projections adapted to nest with such projections in said rails and be Welded thereto to form an integral structure.

4. In a ladder, a pair of rails of sheet metal, each rail being formed into a box-like structure, the sides of each box being formed with a series of indented portions contacting each other and secured together, a series of steps of similar boxlike construction and provided with flanged ends, said ends having complementary dents adapted to nest in such indented portions of said side rails and be integrally united thereto.

5. In a step ladder, the combination of a pair of rails of sheet metal, each rail being formed into a box-like structure, the sides of each box being formed with a series of indented portions contacting each other and integrally united, a series of metal steps having end flanges provided with complementary dents adapted to nest into such indented portions of said rails and integrally united therewith, a. top for said rails,

series of metal steps having end flanges provided with complementary dents adapted to nest into such indented portions of said rails and integrally united therewith, a top for said rails, bracket members provided with similar dents nesting in said rails and integrally united thereto and to said top, supporting legs hinged to said brackets and braces connecting said supporting legs.

7. A side rail for ladders, consisting of two sheets of metal, each having a series of spaced projections pressed from the plane of the sheet,

-said projections of one sheet being in contact with and united to the corresponding projections of said second sheet, the edges of said sheets being bent over each other to form said sheets into a closed box-like structure and short stiffening tubes mounted at the bottom of said rails between the closed edges thereof and the adjacent connected projections.

8. A side rail for ladders consisting of a sheet of metal having two spaced complementary series of projections indented therein, said sheets being bent to force such two series of projections into contact with each other, means for rigidly securing said contacting projections together, the two edges of said sheet being folded together to form a closed box-like structure and short stiffening tubes mounted at the bottom of said rails between the closed edges thereof and the adjacent connected projections.

THOMAS H. FAY. 

